Dozens of people have rallied around a restaurant owner in Oklahoma after a heartbreaking picture of him looking for customers went viral.

A heartwarming story unfolded as numerous individuals rallied behind an Oklahoma restaurant owner following the viral spread of a poignant photo showing him eagerly awaiting patrons.


Scott Hosek went viral after looking for customers.Credit: KOCO 5 News ABC

Four years ago, Scott Hosek established Spirals hot dog eatery in Norman, Oklahoma, aiming to provide a unique hot dog experience to his customers.

At Spirals, customers can savor hot dogs, polish sausages, and hot links with a variety of toppings, ranging from mac and cheese to peanut butter.

Despite fluctuating sales, especially during the pandemic, Spirals experienced a surge in business after a viral photo captured by a customer.


Credit: KOCO 5 News ABC

The image showed Hosek at the restaurant's entrance, looking out for potential customers.

Speaking to KOCO 5 News, Hosek remembered saying, "Man, I’m just waiting for my customers."

The customer who took the photo captioned it with, "He has been standing here waiting on customers to come in,"

They ended up sharing the photo online, where it spread like wildfire and caught the attention of a lot of people in the local area and beyond.


Credit: KOCO 5 News ABC

The response was overwhelming.

"And the next thing you know, all of Oklahoma City, Norman and Moore have decided to come out and say hello," Hosek remarked, noting that the eatery made a week's sales in just one day.

The restaurant, enjoying a stellar 4.9/5 stars rating on Google, offers hot dogs named after family members, each with a unique family signature.

Hosek was delighted by the turnout, which only led to a shortage of one sauce amidst the increased demand.


Spirals offers a range of hot dogs with different toppings.Credit: Instagram/@spiralshotdogs

The customer who snapped the photo was amazed by the power of social media in rallying community support.

The owner reflected on the impact of the photo,

"It makes you a believer in social media for sure. We’d love nothing more than to have this kind of traffic every day."